Cyber Security Skills for Journalists

Now more than ever, it is imperative that all journalists equip themselves with the skills they need to protect their sensitive digital reporting information from prying eyes. To address this rising need, the National Press Club’s Journalism Institute, Freedom of the Press Committee and Young Members Committee are holding a three-day hands-on training series for journalists.

This is the final session of NPC Journalism Institute's three-day interactive workshop on cyber security skills for journalists.

Attendees must have attended the September 27 workshop in order to enroll.

This program is supported by a generous grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation.

Skills that will be studied in the Saturday workshops include:

Anonymize Internet traffic

Encrypted instant messaging, video chat, audio chat

Security on mobile phones, how to send secure messages and conduct encrypted video and audio calls

Securely storing and transferring your files

Configuring your laptop to send encrypted email and to digitally sign a message

Effectively managing your passwords

Vanish without a trace – how to securely and anonymously sanitize your computer.

Introduction to TAILS – the operating system that Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras used to communicate with Edward Snowden

Setting it up and getting around – creating text files, editing audio and video

Surf the Internet anonymously

Send IMs off-the-record

Sending encrypted email

Sending encrypted files

Creating encrypted storage volumes

Attendees of the Saturday workshops must bring a personal laptop and, if available, a personal smartphone. Each participant must have administrative access to their laptops. Participants should also bring a thumb drive or external hard drive to create encrypted volumes.